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Re: Adding a 6v boost to a 12v battery charger

>> I have access to a Schumacher wheeled battery charger that is 12 v

>> only. >> >> I want to use its boost feature (200amp) on 6 volt systems. >> >> Any suggestions as to how to make a mod where the charger will do >> both 12v and 6v? >> >> I have looked and have not found any schematics. >> >> I am assuming that any mods will be downstream of the transformer. >> >> Thanks for any suggestions. >> >> TMT > > Let's try casting the net a bit further...anyone else have a > suggestion as to how to do a conversion? > Thanks > > TMT

Why don't you open it up and see if its got any taps on the output of the transformer. Or if you are lucky a 220/230 volt centre tapped primary winding.

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Best Regards:
                     Baron.
Reply to
Baron
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Since the boost function is only used to try to start an engine, then
figure if you want to cut the 12V down to 6 and you want to be drawing
200 amps at that time, then you might be able to just insert a 30
milliohm 1200 watt resistor between the battery and the charger.

There are power resistors available from various vendors which you could
use:

http://www.ohmite.com/cgi-bin/showpage.cgi?product=powrrib_series#parts

or you could make your own out of nichrome wire.

JF
Reply to
John Fields

See if you can get a tap on the transformer?

Reply to
PeterD

OK, I kinda hate to suggest this as a solution... I'm afraid too-many- tools will become too-few....

But, if you had a second UNCHARGED battery to put in series it could act as the dropping resistor.

Please note the emphasis on uncharged. I'm afraid you will blow something up!

George H.

Reply to
George Herold

snip

I presume this is one of those wheel around big guys seen at repair shops and service stations.

I take it that the 200 amp is a feature you can select to start vehicles if you are in a big hurry and can't wait for the original battery to accept an adequate charge.

The 6 volt battery will, for a time, swamp the 14-16 volt charging voltage output down to the 7 or 8 volts if you hook it up as is. Better if you have a trickle charge or lower charging current feature selection to buy yourself more time with the 12 volt charging hook up.

You could then actuate the 200 amp feature to see if you can start the problematic vehicle. But I wouldn't leave it on for long.

Older chargers used selenium rectifier stacks and they have a built in current limiting (intrinsic resistance) and are very conservatively built.

Charging batteries is hazardous even with the right equipment, but unless this is a very tiny ampere hour battery, you should be able to do it for a minute or two before you start heating up the plates and permanently destroying the battery and possibly the rest of the automotive electrical system.

The suggestion about adding another 6 volt battery in series would work as well, you would have to position it between the vehicle being charged and hook up the positive of the vehicle battery to the negative pole of this added battery. The positive of the added battery going to the potitive lead of the charger.

Joe Rooney

Reply to
Joe Rooney

formatting link

Difficult to see but it looks to have a multiple tapped primary. It also looks to have dual parallelled secondaries going into the rectifier.

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Best Regards:
                     Baron.
Reply to
Baron 

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Of course not, since it's not the same charger.

I suggest you take the covers off your charger, take some pictures of
its guts, post them somewhere and give us a link to them.

alt.binaries.schematics.electronic is a good place.

Did you ever call Schumacher (toll-free, BTW) for help?

JF
Reply to
John Fields

--- What difference does it make?

Even if it's Schumacher there's no guarantee that the one you have is the one the schematic is for.

Again, why don't you contact Schumacher and ask _them_ for help?

JF

Reply to
John Fields 

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Obviously not being a designer, it seems you think that product "B" can
be modified by looking at documentation from product "A" without regard
to the actual implementation of product "B".

Such is not the case and, as a designer, I would expect my employer to
supply me with documentation sufficient to accomplish the task at hand
or request that I reverse engineer the product in order to generate the
needed documentation.
Reply to
John Fields 

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Figgered...

JF
Reply to
John Fields 

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You mean you dislike the fact that I criticized your attitude?

As far as I'm concerned you _are_ a smartass and you also seem to be a
troll trying to foment discord with your entry level slurs.

And, yes, I'm not a team player; I run a solo act.
Reply to
John Fields

Reply to
John Fields

Use it to charge two 6 volt batteries in series?

Reply to
Bob Monsen

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